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Hi all, we have had a Schiedmayer harmonium for several years now, my hubbie is self taught and enjoys playing. Recently we started looking at the history of this instrument and would appreciate any info anyone may have. It has a double manual and 21 stops including 2 percussions, I think this is relatively rare - does anyone know anything? Would appreciate any info, thanks, Ffynnon

What you have sounds like a Kunstharmonium ("Art Harmonium"). These were built around the late 19th, early 20th century in an attempt to have a high-end harmonium for "serious" musicians. They were quite standardized and most of them had the same disposition, which is why music written for it (e.g. by Franck, Vierne or Karg-Elert) usually just has boxed numbers to indicate the desired stops (e.g. No. 1 was Cor Anglais 8'(bass)/Flute 8' (treble) on the large majority of all Kunstharmoniums). They were very expensive at the time and well-built. I have no idea how rare they actually are, but harmoniums went out of fashion quite a while ago and I'm not sure instruments like yours are even still built.

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Your organ, the Scheidmayer was a product of the Scheidmayer Music Works of Stutgart, Germany! The builders were very good builders and their quality was very high! They would be considered a steinway in the organ world!!

A product from the Schiedmayer piano factory in Stuttgart, today they still make celesta's.This indeed sounds like a "Kunstharmonium" , they also did build cheaper reed organs, but not with this size. The most famous builder of this kind of harmoniums was Mustel, in France.Schiedmayer had a more industrialized production, but also of high quality. Also with some very exceptional pieces.

In Europe they are very sought after, since some individuals (organist or organ builders) started to buy them like crazy, almost prohibiting other musicians acces to this unique instruments.A normal harmonium or reed organ isn't worth anything anymore ...

I might be interested in buying this one if you want to get rid of it.